"Tris, are you sure?" Tobias whispers against my lips.
"Yes." I say breathlessly. "I trust you."
We are by the lakeside again, kissing, but things are much more heated. He gently lays me down on the grass, hovering over me. I feel him touch me all over, the sensation otherworldly.
My heart races, and I try to control my breathing. Tobias looks into my eyes as he pushes inside me, loving me ever so slowly. The trees sway with the light wind, and the moon shines down on us.
"I love you, Tris." He whispers in my ear.
"I love you, too, Tobias." I say.
Our bodies stay tangled together, our hands intertwined, our breathing shallow. I have never felt this way before. Never felt so much at once. But I love it. I love him.
I wake up with a gasp, my eyes flitting around the room and trying to make sense of what is going on. It was a dream. An incredible one, but still a dream. Colour floods my cheeks as I realise what it was actually about. I was with Tobias. It hasn't even been a full day since we had our first kiss, and I'm already dreaming about making love with him. What is going on with me?
Then, another realisation creeps in, making my breath catch in my throat. I said to him that I loved him in the dream. Does it mean anything? Do I love Tobias? I barely know him. But it felt right. I can't deny that.
Shaking my head, I dismiss it as just a really good dream that I had because of last night's events. I climb out of bed and get ready for the day. It's probably the fastest I've ever gotten ready, eager to see Tobias again. I think about how his lips felt against mine, smiling to myself as I put on a solid white knee length dress with thick straps. I still can't believe that the guy I like, likes me back. That I'm so lucky to have found him.
My eyes land on the vase set on my nightstand, filled with those beautiful red tulips. My heart swells looking at them. Is this what I've been missing my whole life? Tobias is what I've been missing.
Downstairs, my parents are happy to hear that my date went well. They both hug me in their sleepy state, apparently last night's movie ran long and they went to bed late. I let them relax and enjoy their Sunday, grabbing my stuff and heading to work.
Sunday mornings are often chill at the bakery, not many customers want to wake up early. The day is pleasant, a light breeze in the air, and it's not too sunny. Tori also looks in a very good mood. Her dog has been doing well since the vet. She tells me she might call it an early day today, wanting to spend time with him. I could definitely use a break, too.
My eyes fly to the door every time the little bell rings, only to turn away disappointed. It's almost 11 am when the one I want walks in, his face lighting up when he sees me. My own smile mirrors his, and I feel like I can breathe again. Tobias walks up to me, looking good in blue jeans with a white t-shirt, showing off his muscular arms.
"Hey, beautiful." He murmurs.
"Hi, yourself. You're late today." I tell him with a small frown.
"I know, but only because I was out getting you this." He says, pulling out something from his back pocket. "Come over here, sit with me."
I walk around the counter, grabbing his extended hand, then sit with him at his usual spot. Taking a small black box tied with a white ribbon from his hand, I gently open it, giving him a questioning look. Inside is a stunning gold bar necklace, each end of the small bar hanging from the chain. But what makes me gasp is the indentation on the bar. It has three little birds carved into it, flying freely towards one direction.
I look up at Tobias, still speechless, and he smiles nervously at me. "They are ravens. They symbolise change and opportunity. I know that we haven't known each other for long, Tris. But I really wanted to give you this. You have changed me in ways that I can't even begin to describe. I feel closer to you than anyone I've ever known. And it felt so easy to share my past with you, knowing you would never judge me. I want to be with you, if you'll have me. Please say yes."
"Yes!" I giggle and move closer to him, giving him a kiss. "Tobias, I..., you're amazing, and I would want nothing more than to be with you. And thank you for this, I love it so much. Help me put it on."
Tobias grins at my answer and kisses me again, deeply. He hooks the necklace around my neck, and I touch the thin bar, loving the feel of it on my skin. Tucking my hair behind my ear, he stares deep into my eyes, his dark blue ones threatening to pierce straight into my soul. He takes my left hand in his and kisses the back of it, never once breaking eye contact with me.
Someone clears their throat, and I look up to see Tori standing there, trying to look serious and hide back a smile. "So, what's going on?"
"Um, Tori, we were just talking. I'll be right back." I say.
"Well, I didn't see much of talking." She smirks and I turn deep red.
"This is my... boyfriend, Tobias." I look at him, who can't seem to stop grinning. I shake my head and turn to Tori. "And this is Tori, you could call her my boss, but she's more like a big sister."
"Damn right I am. Which is why I'm giving you the day off. Go out, there isn't much to do here today." She tells me.
"Seriously?" I ask her, getting excited.
"Yes, seriously." She laughs. "It was nice meeting you, Tobias. Take care of her."
"I will. You don't have to worry. It was nice meeting you, too." He says. Tori nods at us and walks away.
"So, what do you want to do today? I'm all yours. Unless you have other plans, I'd understand." I say, smiling nervously.
"I don't have any other plans, Tris. I hardly have any friends." We get up from the table and I walk back to the counter to take my stuff. I also grab two double chocolate chip muffins, waving at Tori as I leave. Handing a muffin to Tobias, we walk down the street, enjoying the chocolatey goodness.
"What do you mean you hardly have any friends?" I ask him, resuming our conversation.
"I just have one close friend, his name is Zeke. But he lives in London, so we rarely ever meet. I was never good with all the friendly chit chat, anyway. I prefer to stay alone. I guess you could call me a loner." He chuckles.
"Really? But you were always so friendly with me." I ask him.
"That's because I liked you, Tris. Trust me, that's the first time I've willingly opened up to someone, but I knew I wanted you." He says. I blush crimson, biting my lower lip. I shake my head, trying to clear it.
"You should know that all of this is very new to me, too. I've never been involved with anyone before and I don't know what your expectations are-" I blabber on.
"Hey, I know, Tris. It's the same for me. We'll take it slow, okay? Talk through things. I just wanna be with you." He stops me.
I kiss him again, pressing my lips firmly against his. My arms go around his shoulders, while his wrap around my waist. He traces my bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, and I open my mouth, letting him taste the chocolate. I love kissing him, I decide. It makes the world slow down, and I feel like there are a million little butterflies dancing around in my stomach. He feels strong against me, his lips moving with mine passionately.
I pull away after a while, leaning my forehead against his chest. I love that he is taller than me, he makes me feel so safe, kissing my head and resting his chin on me. After a few weird glances from strangers, we laugh and keep walking down the street.
"So, what about your friends?" He asks me.
"I don't have many, there's just Susan, my friend from school. We used to be very close, but as we got older, we grew apart. There was also her brother, Robert, who would follow her around to get close to me, and kept asking me out on dates, but I was never interested. So I stopped hanging out with her to avoid him. I know it wasn't very nice, but I did tell her how much it bothered me, and she didn't do anything about it, so..." I shrug.
Beside me, I feel Tobias tense his shoulders as I speak. I notice he has an unfamiliar look on his face. Does he think I'm a bad friend?
"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask him. We have reached a park now, and I lead him to a bench, sitting down beside him. My leg has healed pretty well, but it still gets tired after long walks.
"Nothing." He sighs, looking straight ahead.
"Tobias, please tell me." I squeeze his hand.
"I just, I didn't like hearing about another guy who was interested in you. I know it makes no sense, but...what if you had liked him back?" His words shock me.
"Are you jealous? You have no reason to be, I promise. I never liked Robert. Honestly, Tobias, I've never felt for anyone, the way I feel for you, ever." I tell him, staring into his eyes to let him know I'm speaking the truth.
"I'm sorry, I'm being so silly." He shakes his head.
"You're not." I kiss his cheek.
"I've never felt this way before either, Tris." He smiles. "Did I tell you that you look absolutely beautiful today?"
"Yeah, I think that's how you greeted me this morning." I laugh.
"Well, you really do look beautiful, Tris. I love the white on you." He smiles.
"Thank you." I blush.
Tobias wraps his arm around me and leans in to peck my cheek. We spend the next hour just sitting, talking and enjoying the sun. I've never met anyone like him before, I have never enjoyed a person's presence as much as his. I feel like I've known him forever, yet not long enough. And the way he looks at me, his smile lighting up his whole face, it leaves me dazed. God, I'm falling for him so hard.
When there's a lull in our conversation, I focus more on our surroundings. There are kids running around on the grass, people walking their dogs, couples sitting under the shade of trees, an old man and woman holding hands as they enjoy some ice cream. I've been across this park a lot of times, but never came in. It is really nice.
I turn my attention back to Tobias, who's playing with the fingers of my left hand. He seems lost in thought, a million miles away.
"Hey, where'd you go?" I nudge his shoulder.
"Uh, nowhere, just thinking, nothing in particular." He responds. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes, I could eat." I nod, realising that it's lunch time already. We get up from the bench and intertwine our fingers, walking out of the park.
"I completely forgot to ask, but how's your leg now? Are you comfortable walking?" Tobias asks.
"Yeah, it's so much better. Only hurts when I twist it a certain way, but I'm so glad to be able to walk properly again." I admit.
"I can imagine." He says. "So, what do you want to eat?"
I think about it for a while. "There's a really good deli not far from here, they have great sandwiches. You wanna go there?" I look over at him when he doesn't answer, and see a big grin split across his face. "What?"
"Nothing, I just really love sandwiches." He laughs, pulling me close.
"You do?" I ask, smiling at him.
"Yes, very much. I'm beginning to see our tastes are very similar, Tris. I love everything you pick." He confesses.
"Well, I'm flattered you think so. But you haven't even tried the sandwich, yet." I give him a look.
"I don't have to, I already know." He chuckles.
We reach the small restaurant, and immediately find a booth in the back. I slide into the seat while Tobias sits opposite me. We smile at each other, holding hands on the table. I could get used to this. A waiter approaches us with menus, going around to serve drinks at a nearby table. It's busy in here.
"So, what are you getting?" I ask him.
"I was thinking of the turkey sandwich, and you?" He looks up at me from the menu.
"The grilled chicken sandwich." I answer, my favourite.
Tobias grins, his eyes shining as he looks at me. The waiter comes around again, standing impatiently for us to give our orders. Quickly scribbling it down on his small notepad, he asks if we want drinks.
"Iced tea, right?" Tobias asks me, looking amused. I return his smile and nod my head. "We'll take two iced teas, please." The waiter walks off, picking up the menus and rushing to the kitchen.
I adjust a little in the small booth, getting comfortable, and my knee brushes against Tobias's under the table. He sits up straighter, moving his legs to let mine rest against his. Now, our legs make a zigzag, my right one between his and his right one between mine.
We smile again, and I wonder if my cheeks will hurt by the end of the day. Our conversation is light, and we mostly just stare at each other while we wait for our food. The loud chatter around the restaurant seems to die down when I look at him, his dark eyes making all my other senses numb. And when he squeezes my hand, my breathing shallows.
Our food arrives a few minutes later, and we dig in. Wow, I almost forgot how good it is. Tobias moans appreciatively, and I take a sip of my iced tea to hide how red my cheeks are.
"God, Tris, you've really outdone yourself." He shakes his head in disbelief.
"I'm glad the streak continues." I laugh, chewing on a thick french fry. "You wanna try the grilled chicken?" I offer him.
"Sure." He picks the slice and takes a bite right next to where I took one. "This is really good, Tris." He offers me to taste his sandwich, too, and I take a small bite, the warm cheese melting in my mouth.
"How about we share?" I ask him, chuckling.
"I'd be more than okay with that." He says and we exchange half of our sandwiches, each getting a slice of the other.
We eat slowly, enjoying each bite, sipping away at the cool beverage as we talk about our favourite movies. I giggle when I catch Tobias with ketchup at the corner of his mouth, chomping on a fry. He looks at me with confusion on his face, and I grab a tissue, reaching over and wiping his mouth. He smirks and dips another fry into the ketchup, then smears the condiment on his face, making me laugh loudly, clutching my stomach.
"God, I love that sound." He beams.
I wipe off his face again, still laughing, and he leans over the table, pressing his lips to mine. It's a short kiss, and he sits back down, looking at me carefully. But it was so unexpected and sudden that I'm frozen in place.
"What was that for?" I ask him, eventually regaining my senses.
"I just really wanted to kiss you." He murmurs sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I hope you don't mind."
I lean over and kiss him again, making it clear to him that I don't ever mind. He smiles against my lips and kisses me back. When we pull away, we're grinning like idiots. Tobias puts his hand on my knee under the table, and gently squeezes it. I bite my lip, loving the feel of his hand on me. Then the waiter comes over, giving us a dirty look and asking if we want anything else.
We've been so preoccupied with each other that we don't realise there's a line outside the deli, lots of people waiting for a table. We've clearly overstayed, so we finish up quickly and hurry out, trying to ignore the accusing looks the wait staff gives us.
We laugh at ourselves as we walk down the street, our hands linked. Then, Tobias abruptly stops us and turns to me, cupping my cheeks and moving my head up so he can look straight into my eyes. And he kisses me, his tongue brushing against mine. My arms go around his waist as I let the passion consume me. And each time our lips part, I think he's going to pull away, but he comes back for more, again and again.
A/N: Hello, people! Thank you for your lovely reviews on the previous chapters! Hope you enjoyed this one!
